A feast of Romantic poetry and music featuring the works of Keats and Schubert.

Australian theatre icon, John Bell AO OBE and internationally acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi renew their triumphant partnership with Bright Star, exploring the life, love and genius of two bright stars of the Romantic era – John Keats and Franz Schubert. Though they never met, these contemporaneous geniuses of literature and music were kindred spirits: both died young, having loved a woman beyond his reach due to her superior social standing, and both created masterpieces which still resonate strongly today.

Performing some of the most beloved poems of Keats including Bright Star, Ode to a Nightingale, and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, and music by Schubert including Ave Maria, Winterreise and Sonata no.18 in G major (‘Fantasie’), Bell and Tedeschi share their insights into the enduring power of these timeless works, and the lives of the artists who created them.

“It is story-telling for adults, heart-rending and sophisticated... Tedeschi is a true master of the pianoforte... [Bell’s] voice soars above the piano accompaniment and runs the gamut of emotions from the faintest whisper to intense grief to anger. It is a virtuoso performance and the synergy between these two performers was obvious.”STAGEWHISPERS, 2017 (ENOCH ARDEN, ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE)